419 scam: Graeme Johanson <Graeme.Johanson@infotech.monash.edu.au> RE: HELLO DEAR SIR/MADAManr. Lamido SanPŒë¸"

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- ",000,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- jonb206@usa.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: jonb206@usa.com
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:11:48 +0100
Subject: RE: HELLO DEAR SIR/MADAM

--

Dear Partner,

I write to you as a matter of uttermost urgency in respect of a
business transaction which i
trust will be of interest to you. It pertains certain accounts which in
the wake of the
september 11 attacks were "MARKED" by the Counter- terrorism unit of
the FBI, these accounts
are belonging to key arab businessmen and influential players in the
mid-east,these accounts
have been a subject of investigation and has since been cleared by the
FBI and I have been
entrusted with the duty of returning these account to the rightful
owners but unfortunately a
lot of these people are no where to be found.

Should you be interested, my proposal is for you to be the sole
beneficiary of these funds
which is running into $126,000,000 USD. This partnership is to be on
50%-50% basis. Pls
contact me on (jonb206@usa.com) immediately if you are interested with
your name and relevant
biodata.

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Jon Burnson.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam